The awesome moment was captured by photographer Chris Dawson in south west London over the warm Easter weekend last month.

The plane was left completely intact following the incident.

“I saw the storm clouds gathering and I thought the conditions would be perfect for a lightning strike,” he told the Daily Mail.

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), if airplanes are not adequately protected from lightning strikes – extremely high voltages and currents can pass through the aircraft, which are capable of damaging component assemblies or destroying wiring and equipment.

However, the body of a plane must be bonded with metal so it can act as a conductor, allowing electricity to pass through it in order to survive the jolts.